139. Camp Bisam

01-10-1944

Kilometerbaan 53, Strijbeek, Holandia

139. Camp Bisam

Little in this place reminds us of the radar station the Germans built here in 1942. The arrival of this element of the German air defence system had major consequences for the surrounding area and its residents. Even before liberation, the Germans abandoned the camp.

During World War Two, the German army had an extensive network of radar stations to detect enemy fighter aircraft. About 20 of these radar stations were rapidly constructed in the Netherlands. Most stations were given the name of an animal. From March 1942, such a radar station was built here at Strijbeek. Its name: Bisam.

The radar camp covered 47 acres and housed about 200 staff. Local Dutch people were forced to work on its construction and maintenance. As a result, the arrival of the camp had a huge influence on daily life in the area.

The Germans already abandoned the camp before the liberation. The radar installations were blown up and the buildings set on fire. On the 29th of October 1944, the liberators entered Strijbeek and Galder. By then, the German troops had already withdrawn.